The Land of Hot Water is located to the northeast of the Land of Fire. Directly north of the Land of Fire is the Land of Sound, and to the west of the Land of Sound are two countries that also border the Land of Fire: the Land of Iron and the Land of Waterfalls.
It had been a month since Hibari and Orochimaru left the Land of Hot Water to search for Ryūchi Cave in various countries. The two of them were currently in the Land of Sound.
Hibari was wearing his signature Senju clan attire: a black layered chest plate, a Konoha headband tied around his wrist, and the sheath of a short sword strapped to his lower back.
Unlike his usual lazy demeanor, Hibari now exuded a tough aura. Lying on the ground around his feet were several corpses. This was a group of missing-nin from the Otogakure who had been roaming the Land of Sound.
Hibari didn't know why they had become missing-nin, nor was he interested in finding out. He just knew they had been looting and robbing merchant caravans traveling through the Land of Sound.
This in itself wasn't a problem, and Hibari had no intention of going around playing hero. There were too many bandits and evil-doers in the world; how could he possibly manage them all?
However, this group of people ran into him and tried to rob him and Orochimaru, so they had no one to blame but themselves for his merciless actions.
He casually shook his short sword, flicking off the bloodstains. Hibari then sheathed the sword with a graceful and fluid motion and looked at Orochimaru in the distance.
Orochimaru also held a blade in his hand and was walking step by step towards a missing-nin from the Sound Village who was injured and unable to move.
When the missing-nin saw Orochimaru, a look of terror appeared on his face. They had thought that a team of only two people in these desolate mountains would be easy to rob. Instead, as soon as they made a move, they ran into prehistoric beasts. They were all slaughtered like melons and vegetables, and their courage was completely broken.
"Don't kill me, please! I'm sorry, I know I was wrong! I'll never dare to do it again, please spare me!!!" The missing-nin from the Otogakure leaned against a tree, one hand covering the wound on his waist, while weakly begging for mercy.
But Orochimaru's cold, vertical pupils, like the eyes of a cold-blooded animal, were filled with indifference and ruthlessness. He walked to the man's side step by step, and without hesitation, he thrust his short sword into the man's chest, piercing his heart.
Blood oozed from the man's mouth. He looked at Orochimaru with a look of fear, struggling for a moment. It seemed he couldn't understand why the person in front of him, who looked like a child of only ten years old, was so cold and ruthless. He couldn't find a single trace of hesitation in his eyes, only coldness.
Slowly, all the strength in his body disappeared, and he went limp. Only then did Orochimaru slowly pull the short sword out of his chest. He also casually shook off the bloodstains, sheathed the short sword, turned to look at Hibari, and began walking toward him.
Watching this scene, Hibari was very satisfied with Orochimaru's actions. Just like his name, once he made a move, he was like a cold-blooded snake, tightly wrapping around and killing his prey without the slightest bit of mercy.
In Hibari's opinion, decisiveness in killing was one of Orochimaru's strengths. Furthermore, to show mercy or have a soft heart when facing an enemy was to be irresponsible with one's own life and the lives of one's comrades. Only a dead enemy was a good enemy, and that wasn't just an empty saying.
The only thing Hibari regretted was that Orochimaru's combat experience was still insufficient, just like his own back in the day. Thinking of this, Hibari smiled and shook his head. He then raised his finger and pointed it at the area behind Orochimaru.
When Orochimaru saw Hibari's action, he was stunned for a moment. Then, as if he had realized something, he quickly turned his head, his short sword already unsheathing.
Sure enough, when he turned his head, he saw the man who had been clearly stabbed through the heart by him. The man was holding a kunai in his hand and was stabbing at Orochimaru's back.
"Is it too late?" Orochimaru's short sword hadn't been fully unsheathed yet, but the opponent's kunai, with a cold glint, was almost touching his body.
Thinking of this, Orochimaru was ready to trade a wound for a life. Even if he was injured, he had to save his life first. So he slightly shifted his body, preparing to use his own flesh and blood to block the kunai in the man's hand.
Just then, Hibari's voice entered his ears.
"Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets..." Hibari murmured softly.
In the next instant, Orochimaru felt a gust of wind blow past his ear. The man in front of him, who was holding a kunai and was about to injure him, had his head hit by something. A bloody hole appeared between his eyebrows, and his face was filled with disbelief. All the strength in his body disappeared instantly. Although the kunai in his hand had reached Orochimaru's chest, it couldn't pierce him, only leaving a faint trace of blood...
Only then did Orochimaru snap back to reality from that split-second between life and death. He turned to look at Hibari in shock and murmured in disbelief, "Was that... the Shikotsumyaku kekkei genkai?"
As soon as he finished speaking, before Hibari could answer, he immediately raised his hand and stabbed his short sword into the man's head. He pried it open, and a finger-joint-sized bone was pried out of the wound by Orochimaru and flew into the air.
Orochimaru reached out and grabbed the bone fragment. He opened his palm and looked at it; it was just like a human finger bone... This made him even more certain that the move his "Hibari-aniki" had used to save him was the Shikotsumyaku kekkei genkai.
On the other side, Hibari slowly lowered his arm. The index finger that had shot out a bone segment was completely fine. It had fully recovered in an instant.
"I can't believe you, kid, could recognize the Shikotsumyaku? Not bad, are you researching this sort of thing?" Hibari said with a smile.
Orochimaru held Hibari's finger bone, then walked in front of Hibari. He looked at the finger bone in his hand, then at Hibari, and finally held out his hand, as if to return it to Hibari.
Seeing this, Hibari smiled and said, "If you want it, take it. It's not a rare thing."
When Orochimaru heard Hibari's words, his eyes lit up, and he said happily, "Thank you, Hibari-aniki."
After saying that, he carefully put away Hibari's finger bone. This made Hibari laugh helplessly. He had just saved his life, and Orochimaru didn't show any gratitude. Instead, he put away his finger bone and was incredibly happy, only thinking to say thank you...
"I don't know what to say about you, kid." Hibari said with a smile, looking at Orochimaru.
After putting away Hibari's finger bone, Orochimaru asked, "Can I use it for some research?"
"Just don't do anything reckless," Hibari said without any objection.
Only then did Orochimaru nod. Then, as if he remembered that he hadn't answered Hibari's previous question, he spoke again, "I have indeed looked up a lot of information about kekkei genkai. As the Kekkei Genkai of the Kaguya clan from the Land of Water, Shikotsumyaku also shined brightly in various wars and is one of the most powerful kekkei genkai. That's why I read about it in detail, and why I was able to recognize the move as soon as you used it, Hibari-aniki..."
Hibari nodded upon hearing Orochimaru's words. So this guy was already interested in things like kekkei genkai at such a young age? But when you think about it, things that influence a person's life usually start with an interest or a trauma from childhood. Orochimaru's later obsession with this was probably also due to his interest from a young age.
"I see." Hibari said with a smile.
Orochimaru then asked with great confusion, "Hibari-aniki, according to the information I've read, kekkei genkai are things that are created through the fusion of chakra natures, such as Storm Release, Lava Release, and Ice Release. After a person gains these abilities, they are recorded in their genes and then passed down through their bloodline. In addition, there are those that come from a special innate bloodline, such as the eyes of the Uchiha clan and the Hyuga clan, or the bones of the Kaguya clan—the Shikotsumyaku kekkei genkai..."
Hibari also nodded and said, "Well, that's about right."
After hearing Hibari's confirmation, Orochimaru was even more surprised and curious. He then asked, "Kekkei genkai based on chakra natures can be mastered by different families, and I can understand that because those are the most simple and common kekkei genkai. But for something like the Shikotsumyaku... it should only be awakened and mastered by members of the Kaguya clan, right? The blood flowing through you, Hibari-aniki, is that of the Senju clan, and your ability to master the Wood Release kekkei genkai is the most effective proof of that... And... can a person really possess two kekkei genkai? I remember that if multiple kekkei genkai existed in one person at the same time, it would be called a kekkei tōta, right? An example would be the Second Tsuchikage, Mū, who has already been killed in battle..."
Orochimaru asked a series of questions like a machine gun, which made Hibari chuckle. Looking at the curious snake-boy whose eyes were filled with the thirst for knowledge, Hibari shook his head and then nodded.
"First, let's talk about kekkei tōta. It's not just a matter of having two kekkei genkai to be called a kekkei tōta. To explain it in more detail, a kekkei tōta is based on the fusion and transformation of at least three chakra natures. The Second Tsuchikage, Mū, that you mentioned, his Dust Release is based on the nature transformation of 'wind, earth, and fire' chakra. It can turn anything it touches into formless dust, and its power is terrifying. If you ever encounter it, you must be careful, or you could die on the spot."
After hearing Hibari's explanation, Orochimaru nodded and then said, "It's a good thing he's already dead and has no descendants..."
"But Dust Release could very well have been passed down. The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, is the direct disciple of Mū and also has great talent and aptitude. He should have inherited this kekkei tōta... So if you ever face him as an opponent in the future, you, kid, will have to stay on your toes." Hibari said softly.
Orochimaru was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said, "I'll remember that, Hibari-aniki."
Hibari nodded, then said again, "As for the usual kekkei genkai based on chakra natures, you were not wrong about anything. Kekkei genkai like Ice Release and Storm Release are all derived from the fusion and transformation of two chakra natures. These are the most common types of shinobi who have a kekkei genkai."
Orochimaru nodded but still looked at Hibari without speaking, as if waiting for him to reveal why he himself was able to master two bloodlines and kekkei genkai from special physical organs.
Hibari looked at Orochimaru's eyes, which were filled with the thirst for knowledge, then smiled and continued, "As for the Wood Release kekkei genkai, in my opinion, it is the most complex and difficult kekkei genkai. But in fact, it doesn't belong to a special clan like the Sharingan, the Byakugan, or the Shikotsumyaku. In general, Wood Release is a kekkei genkai that is born from the fusion and transformation of 'water and earth' chakra natures."
Orochimaru was truly stunned this time. He had always thought that Wood Release was an innate kekkei genkai that needed to be awakened, like the Sharingan. He never expected that it was a transformation from two chakra natures.
"'Water' and 'Earth' natures, when combined, would result in 'Mud Release,' and there are no shortage of shinobi with that kekkei genkai. And if the principle is like that, why has only the Senju clan had Wood Release for hundreds of years?" Orochimaru asked with great surprise.
"That goes all the way back to ancient times, and it also leads to the topic we're about to discuss: the matter of multiple kekkei genkai. Do you know what the most powerful aspect of our Senju clan is?" Hibari asked.
"Physical fitness? You have an advantage in learning any ninjutsu, genjutsu, or taijutsu, and you have extremely powerful vitality. A fatal injury to a normal person would at most be a serious injury to a member of the Senju clan. A master like the First Hokage can even heal his body without any hand signs!" Orochimaru said without hesitation.
"That's right, and that... is our Senju clan's 'Sage Body'!" Hibari said in a deep voice.
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